U.S. House: Rep Kristi Noem (R)
defeated Matt Varilek (D)
by 57.45% to 42.55%. State Legislature: Republicans
maintained
strong
majorities
in both chambers. The House went
from 50R, 20D to 53R, 17D and the Senate from
28R, 7D to 30R, 5D. Ballot Measures:
South Dakotans weighed in on seven ballot measures.

Overview:The Romney-Ryan ticket won with a plurality
of 65,571 votes (18.02 percentage points),
carrying 56 counties to 10 for Obama-Biden. The only campaign
visit was Libertarian VP nominee Jim Gray's appearance at the
University of South Dakota on Sept. 12. (Vice President Joe Biden
made a non-campaign visit on Oct. 25; he spoke at
evening prayer service for Sen. George McGovern in Sioux
Falls).Obama
| (Romney)BALLOT
[PDF]

Note: Sen. John Thune
(R), who served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the
fourth-ranking leadership position among Senate Republicans, was seen
as
a potential 2012 presidential candidate, but ruled out a run on Feb.
22, 2011. (+)

2008
OverviewSouth Dakota remained in the
Republican column as it has since LBJ took the state in 1964.
McCain-Palin won South
Dakota's three electoral votes with a plurality of 32,130 votes (8.41
percentage points). McCain carried 50 counties to 16 for
Obama. McCain spoke
at
the
Sturgis
rally
at
Buffalo
Chip
Campground
on
Aug.
4
and
overnighted
in
Rapid
City. He had no
staff or office in state. Obama only visited during the primary
(May 31 and June 1) but his campaign did open an office in Sioux
Falls. McCain received endorsements of the Argus Leader (Oct. 26), Mitchell Daily Republic (Oct. 27) and Rapid City Journal (Nov. 3); former
Sen. Larry Pressler (R) endorsed Obama.Obama/Allies
|
McCain/Allies
|
Nader

As a result of
S.B. 34, passed
and signed into law in 1999, South Dakota's petition filing deadline
for
independent candidates was moved up to June 20, 2000, third earliest in
the nation (before Nader even accepted the Greens' nomination on June
25).
Nader needed signatures of registered voters equal to at least one per
cent of the total votes cast for Governor in the previous gubernatorial
election (2,602 valid signatures) by June 20. The campaign took
the
matter to court
but was unsuccessful.

Official
Results

+Bush/Cheney
(Rep.)

190,700

(60.30)

Buchanan/Foster
(Ref.)

3,322

(1.05)

Gore/Lieberman
(Dem.)

118,804

(37.56)

Browne/Olivier
(Lib.)

1,662

(0.53)

Phillips/Frazier
(Ind.)

1,781

(0.56)

Total........316,269

2000
OverviewThe presidential
race had
turned out fairly close in South Dakota in 1992 and 1996, but not this
time around as Bush won with a plurality of 71,896 votes (22.74
percentage
points). Bush carried 61 of 66 counties, including the two
largest;
Gore won five small counties scattered around the state.